05 August 2009 / by Rachael Stiles

With a new football season on the horizon, moneysupermarket.com has said that Sky TV offers the best value when it comes to choosing how to watch the matches.

There have been significant changes to the TV packages on offer in recent months, moneysupermarket.com notes, with the demise of popular sports channel Setanta, and the arrival of ESPN on the UK sports broadcasting scene.

But it is satellite TV stalwart Sky TV that "hits the back of the net" for the upcoming football coverage, the price comparison website has found.

Commenting on which TV packages offer the best value, James Parker, broadband and mobiles manager at moneysupermarket.com, said that Sky is "unrivalled" in its coverage of 92 live Premier League games, up to 15 live matches of UEFA Champions League each week, 80 Coca-Cola Championship matches and six International matches.

"Plus they have a host of other live sports including cricket and rugby," Mr Parker added, "and at a cost of £19 per month to add it to your existing Sky package it is an essential addition to any football fan's subscription.

But "big things" are also expected from American sports giant ESPN, he said, which "will fight Sky all the way to the final whistle" with a line up that will include 46 Premier League matches.

But, Mr Parker continued, "At the moment, Sky's customer base is so large it will be difficult for ESPN to contest. However, people should keep in the mind that the ESPN offering will become more competitive over time and could prove great value for sports fans.

"In the lead up to the season's big kick-off, the big TV providers will be fighting for new sign-ups so fans should watch out for any last minute deals," he urged.